The Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, in partnership with the Romanian Diplomatic Institute, inaugurated its 'Debates with Ambassadors from the Levant' lecture series with a high-level meeting dedicated to Lebanese culture and civilization.
The special guest of the inaugural edition was Her Excellency, Ms Rana Mokaddem, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon to Romania. In her intervention, Her Excellency gave a detailed presentation of the specific characteristics of contemporary Lebanon, highlighting the pluralistic nature of its society and the strategic and cultural role Lebanon plays as a crossroads between East and West.
The event was moderated by Cătălin Ștefan Popa, Director-general of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilisation, with Mr. Mihai Constantinescu taking the floor on behalf of the Diplomatic Institute. The discussions highlighted the synergy between cultural and institutional diplomacy in promoting regional cooperation and intercultural dialogue.
The event was also graced by the notable presence of His Excellency Mr. Khaled Charaf, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to Romania, and that of Ms. Nada Al-Shammari, Deputy to the Head of the Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Iraq to Romania.
During the Q&A session that followed the conference, those attending had the opportunity to further explore key issues concerning Lebanese identity, debate the extant models of coexistence in Lebanon, and discuss international relations at the regional and global levels.
The 'Debates with Ambassadors from the Levant' lecture series is part of the broader 'Dialogues in Cultural Diplomacy' programme, which aims to create a framework for reflection and dialogue between cultural and diplomatic actors in the Levant region.
The debates and extensive dialogue entertained with ambassadors from the Levantine region will allow for the elaboration of a collective volume as a conclusion to the project, to be edited by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization. This volume will bring together the contributions of all Ambassadors taking the floor as part of the 'Dialogues in Cultural Diplomacy' project, in so doing becoming a valuable tool for researchers, diplomats and the interested public alike – a cross-section of this millennial space that finds itself in a tense geopolitical context, which will consolidate Romania's role as a space for dialogue and reflection in the field of cultural diplomacy.
